Steam-trap



(N0 Modem W. P. & R. P. THOMPSON. STEAM TRAP.

No. 412,903. Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

WITNESSES: f l/VVE/VTOI? zzfwdfl W. Jam e/P ATTORNEY warms. Phnln-Lilhugrapher. Washington. u, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM -TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,903, dated October 15, 1889..

Application filed April 8, 1889. Serial No. 306,332. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM P. THOMP- SON and ROBERT P. THOMPSON, both citizens of the United States, and both residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Traps; and we do hereby declare the following to be a sufficiently full, clear, and exact description thereof as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the said invention.

This invention relates to steam-heating apparatus, and has for its object the automatic control of the emptying of condensed water from such apparatus either by gravitation or by controlling automatically the motion of steam-pumps connected therewith.

To effect these desiderata this invention consists of two connected chambers placed one higher than the other and in fluid communications with the steam-pipe, which chambers are each provided with an expansible and contractible diaphragm connected by a tube or rod with the other, and both diaphragms are insulated from the temperature of the steam by an intervening water-chamher. The tube connecting the diaphragm is attached to an arm or lever having a weight placed adjustably upon it and connected to the valve for emptying the water from the steam-pipes or to the valve controlling the steam-supply of the connected steam pumping engine, as more fully hereinafter described, and shown by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of the invention as applied to a valve to drain the water by gravitation and pressure from the steam-pipe, and Fig. 2 an elevation of the device as applied to control the action of a steam-pump for pumping the water from the steam-heating pipes.

The same reference-marks indicate like parts in both figures.

1 represents a vertical steam-pipe to be drained; 2, a pipe leading from its lower end to discharge water therefrom; 3, a valve in the pipe 2, having an upward opening motion. 4 and 5 are branch pipes from the pipe 1, leading, respectively, from the upper and lower part of it to the upper part of chambers 6 and 7 8 and 9 are pipes respectively leading from the lower part of the chambers 6 and 7 to bowls or basins 10 and 11, provided with diaphragms 12 and 13, secured thereto by flanges and bolts in the usual manner. To the diaphragms 12 and 13 are secured disks 14 and 15, which are united by a pipe or rod 16, by which the diaphragms 12 and 13 are united. The bowls 10 and 11 are united by rods or pillars, so as to maintain at all times the same axial line upon the rod 16. As shown in Fig. 1, there is placed in the rod 16 an arm 18, connected to the valve 3, upon which arm 18 sectional or segmental weights may be placed, so that the weight of water accumulated in the pipe 1 and pressing in the bowl 11 is resisted from opening the valve 3 to an extent proportioned to the weight applied. Then the upward pressure under the diaphragm is sufficient, the rod 16 and connected arm 18 rise and open the valve 3, discharging the water from the pipe 1 through the pipe 2. The vessels 6 and 7 retain a sufficient charge of Water to protect the diaphragms 12 and 13 from injury from the heat of the steam in the pipe 1. The function of the upper diaphragm is to receive fluid-pressure and make an equilibrium of the pressure due to the elastic force of the steam upon the upper and lower diaphragms, so that the motion of the diaphragm and connected mechanism is governed entirely by the weight of the water acting upon the lower diaphragm irrespective of the pressure of steam in the apparatus. After the water in the pipe 1 has been emptied the equilibrium of fiuid-pressure is again established between. the bowls 10 and 11, and the weight of the diaphragm and connected parts closes the valve 3.

As shown in Fig. 2, a lever 19 is pivotally attached to the rod 16, and is connected to the steam stop valve 20 of a steam-pump 21,

the suction-pipe 22 of which is connected to the base of the pipe 1. In this application of the invention an accumulation of water in the pipe 1 presses the diaphragm 13 upward and opens the valve 20, admitting steam to the pump 21, which pumps through the pipe 22 from the pipe 1 until the diaphragms 12 and 13 again descend, closing the steam-valve 20 and stopping the pump 21. By this latter arrangement the condensed Water may be returned to the boiler or discharged at ahigher level than the base of the heating-pipes.

Having described our invention and the operation thereof, what We claim is 1. In an apparatus for removing water from steam-pipes, the combination of the connected diaphragms 12 and 13, placed and connected in fluid communication at different levels With the pipe 1 to be drained, with a valve controlling the discharge of Water from the pipe 1, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for draining condensed Water from steam-pipes, the combination of connected diaphragms presenting surfaces to pressure from fluid at different points in height of the vessels to be drained, with a valve controlling the Water-discharging or steam pumping apparatus, substantially as set forth.

WM. THOMPSON. ROBl. P. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

'J. DANIEL EBY, A. V. W. BUDD. 

